


From one to five

by Sigrid20002



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Caring Roronoa Zoro, Child Vinsmoke Sanji, Denial of Feelings, Hurt Vinsmoke Sanji, Injured Vinsmoke Sanji, Inside out kinda thing, M/M, Nakama, Post-Whole Cake Island, Protective Roronoa Zoro, Rivals to Lovers, Sanji Is Not A Vinsmoke, Sanji is in love, Whole Cake Island Arc Spoilers, Zoro is a clueless idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2020-10-13 21:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sigrid20002/pseuds/Sigrid20002
Summary: It is not unusual for Zoro and Sanji to fight. But this is different. After accusing Sanji of betraying the crew and its captain, Zoro is supposed to find the cook who took off to clear his head.Surprised by a stranger the cook gets attacked and before Zoro is able to help, the stranger touches Sanji. Which has the weird effect of... doubling Sanji?Zoro can't believe his eyes when suddenly five Sanjis disappear into five different directions.Now Zoro isn't only supposed to find one cook but FIVE. And worst of all? He needs to convince every single one of Sanjis seperated emotions to agree on getting back together. Which isn't easy, when one emotion tries to kill the others.





	1. The fight

**Author's Note:**

> This work is my first English FanFiction (not counting my one chapter of the Sanji/Law FF I WILL continue, but need more time xD).
> 
> You won't have to wait for updates long, I will post one chapter every week and the FF is almost finished already.
> 
> Have fun reading ^-^

He knew he screwed up. He didn't need anybody to tell him. He knew he should have trusted his captain, his crew. He knew he couldn't have protected them, because none of them had wanted to let him go. He knew he'd hurt his friends, he'd shocked them by telling them he never really wanted to be with them.

But damn, he had his reasons! And it had been a lie. He loved his friends, the ship, the sea, this journey. He never would have given up on all of it that easily. He hadn't been trying to be selfish. How could it when his family was involved? He would never want to be with THEM of all people.

But Zoro didn't understand. He wasn't interested in his story and Sanji didn't want to tell him, because then the shitty swordsman would just call him weak because of it. But it made him furious everytime Zoro looked at him with this hint of accusation in his eyes. He blamed Sanji for getting everyone into this mess, even though they survived and Sanji had tried to keep everybody out of it! Hell, he had kicked Luffy just to keep him away!

And one day Sanji had enough. He suddenly kicked Zoro out of the kitchen and onto the deck, before he followed him outside.

"Are you crazy, shitty cook?!" Zoro shouted angrily. He didn't seem to know what that was for. He had said absolutely nothing to get on Sanji's bad side. But that was the problem.

Zoro dodged the next attack and his eyes narrowed on the furious cook. He really was out of his mind!

The others gathered around pretty fast, after they heard the noise of fighting. It was nothing new to see them both fighting, but all of them could feel this was something different, moreover because they didn't have their usual fights, since Sanji came back to them.

"I am so sick of it!" Sanji exclaimed while launching another kick at Zoro's head, but the swordsman was fast in dodging it again, before he drew his swords. "If you have something to say, spit it out, shitty plant!"

"No need," Zoro responded coldy, but that wasn't any help. It just got Sanji more aggressive than before.

"Do you feel superior with your silent judgement?!" he hissed as Zoro blocked his next kick with his swords. The greenhaired man shoved him back before attacking himself, but he didn't hit Sanji, because the blonde expected it.

"You know, what you've done," was Zoro's simple answer which forced a frustrated grunt out of the cook.

"You're such a... dickhead! Fuck, I know! But you can't be mad at me for eternity, damn idiot!"

Zoro huffed at that. "You think you're just easily forgiven, don't you? Well, no, it's not that easy! You hurt Nakama, don't think everything's forgotten, just because you're back!" Now he was explaining himself nevertheless, but the idiot cook didn't seem to understand. He was too full of himself to realize, what he as done and that he can't pretend that nothing has happened.

"Zoro, you-" Nami wanted to interfere and calm both of them down, but Luffy pulled her back and shook his head. It was their issue to figure out. The crew couldn't help them, because they would still be mad at each other. These two idiots needed to get it out and then solve it somehow, but they had to do that alone. Still Luffy stayed, as did the others, to ensure they wouldn't really kill each other or something like that.

"I don't!" Sanji claimed angrily. "I know what I've done, but what do you expect me to do? Get on my knees and beg to you?!"

"Would be a start," Zoro stated dryly, which was answered with a strong blow to his shoulder as he couldn't entirely block the kick of the cook.

"Fuck you!"

But before Luffy really had to interfere and stop them from hurting each other, Sanji turned around and suddenly jumped off the ship on the island they stayed at. It was getting dark, but Sanji didn't mind. He needed to blow of some steam and he couldn't stand Zoro right now.

"Coward!" Zoro yelled but to his own surprise Sanji didn't even react, instead he just vanished into the woods. Did he really just run from this fight?!

Before he could follow or rant about Sanji, something hit his head hard. "Ouch!"

"Zoro, you complete idiot!" Nami shouted accusingly and she shot him a disappointed glance. "What was that about?!"

"Come on, guys," Zoro grunted annoyed. "I can't be the only one thinking that."

His sentence was met with silence and he realized the concerned stares the others were throwing at him.

"I do get, what you are pointing out, Zoro-san," Robin admitted calmly. "But I do think we all want to forget what happened as soon as possible due to.. Sanji's experiences."

"I don't even know, what that is supposed to mean," Zoro huffed and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He knew Luffy wouldn't be the one holding a grudge. He didn't when Usopp apologized after he had left the crew two years ago. But Zoro didn't hear Sanji apologize. He wasn't sure, if he apologized to Luffy for treating him that way, but even if he did, he owed everyone an apology. He had left all of them! He had promised to come back, but he wouldn't have, if Luffy hadn't followed him.

"Believe me, I made my disappointment clear to him as well," Nami begann and sighed before she continued: "But... Sanji had his reasons, even though he made the wrong decision, he didn't do it out of wrong intensions."

"Doesn't matter," Zoro replied plainly and he recognized that Nami didn't seem very pleased by it. She was frustrated, because he was so damn stubborn, and she looked at Luffy as a plead to help her out here, but the strawhat-boy just shrugged.

"If Zoro has a problem, he needs to solve that with Sanji," he stated. "And it has to be Sanji, who explains it."

"Exactly!" Zoro agreed and nodded at that.

"And that's why Zoro is going to search for Sanji!"

For a moment it was silent, then Zoro let his arms fall to his side, shocked.

"What? No!"

"Why?"

"Because this idiot walked away himself! He'll be back if he is coming back to his senses and if not, I don't care!" That was not exactly true, but he refused to be the one, getting Sanji back. The idiot decided to be alone and Zoro was annoyed enough just with this short fight. He wanted to sleep rather than walking around in this stupid forest!

"But I'm hungry!" Luffy complained and now he was the one crossing his arms. "Look for Sanji, he needs to cook! You were the one scaring him off!"

Zoro stared at his captain dumbfounded. And there he thought Luffy was reasonable for a moment, but it was just about his yearning for food. The swordsman was going to complain, but then Luffy spoke up again in a half-serious voice: "Captains' orders!"

A frustrated grunt left Zoro, before he turned around on his heels. Damn captain! Damn cook!

He jumped off the ship as well and made his way over to the forest. The sun was almost gone and it was a lot darker than when Sanji left, but Zoro didn't really mind. He was annoyed that he didn't know, where the cook went though. He would have to search the whole forest!

Why were the others so protective over the blonde? Was it really just him having this problem? He knew, he wasn't that forgiving, not like the others, not with this kind of behavior, but that didn't mean he wasn't right, did it? Zoro sighed. Now the others really achieved to let him doubt his reaction, but he also had a reason feeling that way. Sanji didn't even try to change anything, when he came back and noticed Zoro being mad. He didn't try to apologize, he just ignored it, hoping Zoro would just forget everything. Until today.

"Idiot cook," Zoro mumbled silently, while fighting his way through the woods. Hopefully he would find Sanji soon. He should have thought about their captain before storming off like that! Luffy would ravage the pantry, when his hunger reaches a certain point.

To his own surprise Zoro didn't have to search for long, before he heared voices. It was Sanji, probably talking to himself. At least that was what Zoro assumed at first, but then there was a second voice: "Sounds like a very unpleasant companion to travel with."

It was the voice of another man, Sanji was talking to and it seemed like the blonde had been complaining about Zoro! This bastard!


	2. From one to five

Anger bubbled inside of Zoro as he heard the stranger speak: "You have so many emotions, how can you keep them all in? Why are you holding yourself back? You seemed more than ready to kill the guy, when you arrived here."

Zoro clenched his fists, more than ready to PUNCH the cook for what he must have told this man, but then he finally saw them.

Sanji was not chatting with this guy. Actually he was kneeling before him, while the guy pressed his palm against Sanji's forehead, holding him there, so Sanji wouldn't fall over.

The cook seemed to be awake, his eyes were open, but they weren't focused on anything.

Then his lips were moving slightly: "I... I can't..." It seemed like he was struggeling. He didn't want to tell this man anything, but something forced him to speak.

This wasn't a chat, this was a fight! As soon as Zoro realized that, he jumped forward and drew his sword. The man noticed him just in time to stagger back and escape the sword. Sanji lost balance and collapsed on the ground, before he could catch himself.

"Oh, you must be the man he was telling me about," the stranger realized and then he started to grin. He didn't seem to be afraid at all. "The swordsman he cursed when I spotted him earlier..."

"Who are you?!" Zoro asked angrily. Yes, he had been cursing Sanji as well some minutes ago, but he still was Nakama, regardless of the problems they may have with each other right now. This guy was going to regret attacking the cook.

Sanji slowly started to be aware of his surroundings again and looked up to Zoro. Then he cursed silently and pushed himself up with a grunt, steadying himself.

"This asshole...," he hissed, glaring at the other man. "He... he was in my mind, he..." He felt so violated and he couldn't even explain what happened, what he felt.

But Zoro didn't really need an explanation, instead he ran towards the stranger and raised his sword.

"No, Zoro, stop!" Sanji shouted. He didn't really know himself, why he stopped Zoro, but he had a very uneasy feeling about this. Zoro must've felt it too, because he actually listened to Sanji and halted as the man took off the remaining glove on the hand, he didn't touch Sanji with.

Zoro raised his sword again, this time to defend himself. He expected the guy to start running his way. He didn't expect him to jump though.

The man was small, but he was jumping damn high for his small figure. He easily flew over Zoro's head and landed behind his back.

"Shit!" the swordsman cursed and he turned around on his heel, but it was too late. Sanji wasn't expecting the sudden attack either. He tried to kick the man, but his reaction was too slow and the guy jumped again.

As soon as the stranger touched the cook with his other hand, something really strange happened. Sanji staggered back, his eyes widening, before he SPLITTED! Zoro couldn't really say, HOW he did, but after a couple of seconds, there were five, very confused Sanjis, staring at the stranger.

And before Zoro was able to progress what had happened, all of them fled from their spot in five different directions. The man himself landed on the ground not far from the spot Sanji had been standing just now.

"What the hell...?" Zoro blinked a few times, before turning to the attacker with a low growl. He grabbed him by the collar, before the man could get away.

"What did you do?" he shouted angrily, but the man just grinned.

Whatever devilfruit he ate, it seemed like he couldn't do that a second time in a row, because even though he touched Zoro as well now, Zoro didn't split like the cook had. Or maybe the guy was naive and didn't think it would be necessary.

"This is gonna be fun," he laughed gleeful, but he grunted when Zoro punched him in the face.

"Don't test me! What did you do to him?!" he repeated threateningly and he shook the now bleeding man in his grip.

"I seperated his different character traits and each of them is now an independent person," the man began to explain, more annoyed than scared, even though his lip was bleeding. "But because of their differences in behaviour they'll probably tear each other apart." Now he grinned again while Zoro tried to understand, what the man was saying. He didn't.

"I'll just kill you!" he said with a frustraited growl. "You're a devilfruit user, so your power vanishes when you're dead!"

His hand was already on his sword again, when the man stopped him: "I wouldn't do that if I were you. My power will indeed vanish, but your friend will die as well as long as he's seperated into his several characteristics. You would have to collect them and that means convincing all of them to merge back together again.

And I saw your friend's personality. He has a huge varierity of emotions. I never saw anything like it. As I said, they'll tear each other apart and the-"

Before he could talk any more bullshit, Zoro knocked him out with a single hit on his head. The swordsman felt uneasy, even when he tried to forget about it. It was the cook. He wasn't going to get beaten this easily, whatever happened to him.

Nevertheless Zoro decided to follow the cook. He was still supposed to bring him back. He didn't really know, which way he should go, because they had been five different Sanjis and they all had gone in different directions. Zoro shrugged and just started walking. He would find him... them somehow. And after dragging all of them back to sunny, they could think about a way to get the real Sanji back.


	3. Excitement, Part 1

It was really hard to find the blonde here in the woods. Zoro wandered for another hour and was confused to see that the island was that big. They had anchored at that island, but even though Luffy was more than up for an adventure, it seemed to small to really bear any interesting secrets. Luffy had still walked on the island but he had been back after less than an hour, very disappointed and mostly hungry, as if he hadn't eaten anything for ages. He'd also claimed that he'd been gone for at least three hours, but it was Luffy. He wasn't very good at estimating things.

After a long time searching when Zoro almost decided to let the cook be, he found a small cabin between the trees. He saw some smoke and he could smell the food fifty feet away. He instinctively knew that it was the blonde who had cooked.

Slowly he made his way to the house, still sceptical about the whoel incident. Why didn't Sanji tried to find him? Or went back to the Sunny? Why was he out here in the woods, cooking in a stranger's cabin? Zoro would probably find out soon.

He didn't knock, he just opened the door to step in and look for the blonde.

Zoro were right. It was the cook. He was standing in the kitchen and next to him there was a huge pile of food. He turned around, when Zoro entered and his face changed from overjoyed to surprised. Then he smirked.

"You found your way in here? I'm surprised, I thought it would take you longer."

Yep, this is definitely the cook , Zoro thought annoyed.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked instead of shooting something back. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm cooking! I got the urge to make something. And Luffy's probably hungry."

"You're right about that," Zoro started, but then kept asking: "But why are you doing it here? You could go back to Sunny and cook here. And whose cabin is this anyway?"

Was there really something wrong with the blonde? He acted pretty normal. Maybe he had been halluzinating. There was no way the cook really had been copied or shit like that.

"It's not that I don't want to," Sanji mumbled. "But I don't know if they haven't got there already. I don't want to meet them."

"What are you talking about, Curly-Brow?"

Sanji sighed.

"I wish a beautiful woman had come to visit me instead of a mosshead like you...," he complained and Zoro's brow twitched in annoyance of this comment. It was definitely the cook.

"Forget it. If you want to stay here, it's fine with me," Zoro grumbled and turned around, before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You're too easy to read, shitty swordsman," Sanji said, not with anger but with amusement in his voice. When Zoro looked back, Sanji's expression changed again though. Something was troubling him.

"I want to be honest with you," he spoke but before he continued, he sat down at the table. Zoro hesitated for a moment but followed his example.

"I am not completely Sanji," the blonde explained. Zoro furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he repeated his question from earlier.

Sanji seemed to feel uneasy and didn't look Zoro in the eyes. Instead his gaze was fixed at the table infront of him.

"There are parts of me... of Sanji missing," the cook continued slowly. "I'm not complete."

"You're talking about this seperation-crap, this guy was blabbering about?" Zoro grunted. "You're kidding... There's nothing different about you."

"I don't feel any fear," the blonde claimed bluntly and Zoro went silent.

Normally noone would be concerned by this statement. Who wants to feel fear anyway? And moreover neither Sanji nor Zoro were people to show their fear. But Zoro was no fool. He knew from the way Sanji looked at him, this could be really dangerous.

He didn't mean that he wasn't feeling fear at the moment. He meant that he didn't feel any fear at all!  
And despite Zoro being very fearless himself, the swordsman knew that the absence of fear causes people to be too careless, especially in a fight.

"I don't feel like myself anymore," Sanji confessed, then he finally looked up to Zoro. "I want to travel, I want to spend my time with you guys. I want to find the All Blue. I love cooking and messing with you. And I feel good... But I know there is something wrong with it. There is some emptyness inside of me. And I know I should be concerned about it!"

"But you aren't," Zoro stated even though he didn't understand half of what Sanji was saying. The cook nodded.

"I don't want to meet the others... That's why I didn't go back to the sunny. I like being alone without fear, without my dark side."

"Your dark side?" Zoro repeated irritated, but then a picture flashed before his eyes. Sanji's devilish face, his energic moments, when he was fighting... Suddenly Zoro knew what Sanji wanted to say. Why he was alarmed.

"You lost some of your emotions. So you lost your fear and your fury? Are you even capable of defending yourself in this state?" Zoro asked with furrowed brows. He didn't like this one bit, especially when Sanji didn't answer.

Suddenly there was a loud crash coming from outside the small cabin and Sanji almost jumped out of his skin. He went pale in an instant.

"He's here. I can sense him," he said and even though he said he didn't feel any fear, the expression on his face came pretty close. His curly eyebrows were knit together in discomfort and he seemed to be worried.

"What? Who is it?" Zoro asked confused. His hand reached for his sword, because he too felt this incredible threatening aura. There was somethin familiar about it, but he didn't get it, until the door flew open and another man looking like Sanji stepped in.

"Oh, you're here too, marimo?"


	4. Excitement, Part 2

There was something very wrong with this cook. Zoro recognized the aura now. It appeared every time just before the cook was kicking someone's ass when he was really pissed off.

But this was different. He seemed to be furious without reason and despite the small smile on the blonde's lips the threatening atmosphere didn't vanish. Not for a second.

"What do you want?" the first Sanji asked. He seemed very tense, like he was going to run away any second.

"I was searching for you. It's like all of you are hiding," the second Sanji answered amused. "But you don't have to be afraid, I'm probably not gonna harm you, E."

"E?" Zoro asked confused and looked back to the friendlier cook.

"It's the short form of excitement," the first one explained without looking away from the other. He seemed to be highly alarmed and Zoro couldn't blame him. "That's what I am. Everything Sanji is excited about. The cooking, the All Blue, the crew..."

"And that's the reason why I am here," the second one stated and his grin caused the other blonde to shudder. "I don't mind getting you back. You could join me. I really would like to have my dreams back."

Zoro knitted his brows in confusion and suspicion. He watched the second cook distrustfully.

"So you WANT to gather all the others?" Excitement asked surprised. but the other shook his head, a devilish smile on his lips.

"Don't be ridiculous. As if I would allow Fear and the others to slow me down! I'm gonna kill them, if necessary. We don't need them anyway..."

Zoro wasn't sure if he heard it correctly.

"You want to kill the other parts of the cook? Why?! They belong to you, don't they?"

"No! And I don't need E either if he decides to get in my way!"

The first cook - Excitement - stepped back, his eyes widened in shock. "You... you can't do that! You can't kill us. We will vanish and the original Sanji will never be able to be resurrected!"

//They gonna tear each other apart,// the man's voice came to Zoro's mind. He had been right.

"That's the fucking plan, idiot!" the furious part spat back. "I'm better of alone! I have plans on my own and noone is going to stop me!"

At those words Zoro drew his swords - at least two of them - and positioned himself infront of the rather defenseless looking cook.

"I'm not gonna let that happen," the swordsman said. "You may be part of the Shitty Cook, but I'm not gonna go easy on you of you try to kill him!"

"Aww, someone is eager to protect the weak, miserable cook?" the blonde mocked. His grin wasn't playful as Zoro remembered. It was cruel and ruthless.

"He isn't weak," Zoro insisted. "The cook I know is strong and able to defend his believes!"

"And who is responsible for that, you think?" the blonde hissed. "I AM! It's ME, who does the fighting, because all the others are too pathetic! They let ME do the fighting and then they lock me up again 'till they need me the next time!"

"It's because you're so... angry," the other cook spoke carefully. "You are eager to revenge without thinking about our friends... or the danger it would cause."

Without further warning the furious blonde attacked but Zoro blocked his leg, before it hit the other blonde's head.

"You are all too frightened to fight! You are all wimps, too full of fear to even lift your damn leg!" the attacker shouted.

"I am warning you," Zoro now spoke dangerously low and threatening the raging blonde himself. "I will not let you harm the other parts of the cook!"

The blonde didn't listen, he just started another kick aiming at Zoro's head now. And he didn't stop there. Time and time again he attacked the swordsman with his feet. He was really strong.

Zoro had known that, but he'd never really experienced it by himself. Sanji'd never shown his truth strength within their bickering and fighting, but now he was dead serious. His cold eyes layed on Zoro, just watching how he blocked the attacks and struggled to get used to this heartless way of fighting. There was this immense aura of hatred and this longing to kill somebody.

The blonde didn't show any sign of hesitation, it was like he didn't even remember that Zoro actually was one of his nakama.

But that didn't mean that Zoro was defeated this easily. After he'd accepted that this wasn't the cook, at least not really, and he'd understood his way of fighting, Zoro fought back.

He knew the cook. Despite the fact that he never fought with him on THIS level, he knew how the cook attacked, how he moved. He had watched him more than once in a fight.

Sanji never hit him. The swordsman was able to block all of his attacks, but he never got through Sanji's defense either. It went on for a long time. Sanji destroyed a table with his foot and Zoro cut through one of the wooden walls, while Excitement decided to back up a bit. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how! He couldn't fight himself! And this fight between the two wouldn't end well.

Fury was trying to kill Zoro while the Marimo wouldn't want to hurt him. He couldn't kill Fury without killing a part of Sanji himself.

"Stop!" Both fighters turned around and looked at Excitement surprised. "I will surrender!"

Zoros' eyes widened in shock. "No! What are you doing, idiot?!"

"Fury, take me with you! You wanted to have me, so you can take me! Just... stop fighting. Zoro is your nakama, you HAVE to know that," he pleaded, ignoring Zoro's protest.

Fury stopped and looked at the other Sanji with cold eyes, but he nodded sharply. "I'm okay with that but I will still kill him, if he continues to get in my way!"

Zoro tensed more and raised his sword again, but Excitement grabbed his arm and pulled him back, wispering: "Stop it, please. It's better that way, you still have to find the others. At least then they are two out of five. Maybe he also changes his mind!"

Zoro knew the cook was probably right, but he felt like betraying a friend. He would need to let this Sanji full of hatred go, at least for now. And he didn't know what this guy would do. He would need to find the other Sanjis before him.

Zoro just watched as Excitement walked towards Fury and raised his hand. Still with cold expression fury took his hand and there was some blendening light, before two Sanjis merged to one again. Zoro shielded his eye with his hand, but when he looked again, Fury had already turned around and took off.


	5. Generosity

Zoro cursed. He should have done something. He should have continued fighting! He could have beaten Sanji! But now he didn't even know where Sanji was! Maybe Fury was already killing his other parts!

Another curse followed after that and he kicked a rock, showing his frustration. That feeling didn't stay for long though.

"Zoro!" Somebody called him and the swordsman turned around, surprised by this voice. Seemed like he wouldn't have to search for a Sanji, he was coming to him himself.

The aura of this one was as friendly as Fury's was evil. He had a beaming smile on his lips and waved at him.

"Zoro! I am so sorry, I fled. I was confused and I wanted to get away from the others..." He stopped infront of Zoro and grinned.

"But I am happy to see you here. I wanted to apologize to you. I mean, because of our fight on the ship, I-"

"Who are you?" Zoro asked sharply and looked at this blonde with squinted eyes. Which part of Sanji was this?

He seemed to be surprised by the question, then he answered: "I am Generosity. Did you already meet one of the others?"

"Fury and Excitement, as I understood," Zoro said plainly. So this was the cook's Generosity... Hs Generosity was such a huge part of his character? He would've expected his love for woman to be a part of its own, but that was probably included in Excitement.

Generosity seemed to feel uneasy too, when he heard about the other parts, Zoro had already met.

"What... happened?" He hesitated to ask, but he still seemed to be interested. Zoro sighed. He still wasn't sure himself. All this seemed to be so unbelievable, so unreal.

Still, he explained: "Excitement agreed on fusing with Fury. I guess, he didn't want me to fight Fury. He told me to go and find the cooks other parts, but... This is a mess!"

Zoro ran his fingers through his hair and sighed again. What was he supposed to do now?! He had to save the idiot cook somehow!

Generosity seemed to notice his upcoming frustration and smiled again. "I'm sure I can help you! I went back to the spot we all fled from and found this guy on the ground."

"Yeah, I knocked him out," Zoro stated and shrugged, while the blonde nodded.

"I kinda guessed that. I tried to wake him up, but he was really out bad."

Zoro blinked. "You tried to wake him? Why the hell would you do that?" The thought that he wanted to ask him, how they could change back to one cook, crossed his mind just after asking, but it wasn't the answer he got.

"I tried to help him, of course!" Sanji seemed to be shocked that Zoro was even asking. "I treated his wound, but then I found something around his neck!"

Before Zoro could scold Sanji for his unreasonable behaviour, the cook pulled out a necklace. It contained a jewel in a dark purple colour. Somehow it seemed to be dull.

"What is that?" Zoro asked and raised an eyebrow, while examining the jewel.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure," Generosity admitted. "But... I feel something about this... Like it's drawing me in."

Zoro frowned confused and stared at the jewel, before shaking his head. "That's like... not helpful at all," he stated and received a hurt look from the other.

"I'm trying! Tell me, how I can help!"

Again Zoro shook his head. He had to think about all this, he had to find a solution!

"Maybe I can help you relax a bit," the blonde suggested and took Zoro's hand, before dragging him down, sitting on the ground. The swordsman was too surprised to react and followed his movements.

"What...?" Before he realized it, Generosity was sitting behind him and put his hands on his shoulders, then he started to give Zorro a massage, rubbing and kneading his shoulders.

Zoro didn't know how to react, he'd never expected Sanji to do anything like this. And even if this was not Sanji's whole self, technically it was still Sanji in some way.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zoro snapped after collecting himself again and Generosity seemed to be surprised by his reaction.

"Is that not relaxing? Should I try something else?" He walked around Zoro, so he was facing him again, before he approached Zoro, getting close to him. "I can give you, whatever you want."

In Zoro's ears this offer sounded damn shady, but the fact that he knew this blonde was totally honest was creeping him out even more. What the hell was up with him?

"I can even sleep with you or-"

"NO!" Zoro's tounge was faster than his mind. While he was totally going to refuse this, he didn't plan of being that harsh. Sanji drew back a bit, looking very taken aback.

"I just thought-" he started, but was interrupted by Zoro once again: "No, just... don't. You can't suggest something like that!"

"Why not?" Sanji asked very naive and looked at Zoro with interest. "I don't have own desires, I just exist to help others with their desires, so I don't see-"

"I am not having this conversation with you!" Zoro declared and shook his head in disbelief. Sanji would never... God, this really was a mess! "Give me the neclace," he demanded, extending his hand. Sanji placed it carefully on Zoro's palm, before looking at him with curiousity again.

Zoro examined it a bit more, but there was nothing that could have helped in his situation. Maybe it was really just a neclace and nothing more.

"I have to collect all parts of the cook," Zoro mumbled to himself. "Somehow... Fury and Exitement already fused, but Fury is trying to kill all other parts, so that's not really helping... He has to agree to fuse with the others."

"I would agree," Generosity stated, trying to be helpful once again. Zoro looked up confused and frowned.

"Agree to what?" he asked, since he completely forgot that the blonde was listening to his verbally expressed thoughts.

"I agree to fuse with the others," Generosity repeated and with that something strange happened. The jewel in Zoro's palm started to glow in a bright, purple light. Generosity's eyes widened when he noticed that his own skin was glowing too, shortly before he got pulled INTO the jewel.

Zoro had freezed and wasn't able to move for a moment, his gaze still lingering on the place, where the blonde had been just one moment earlier. Then he looked at the neclace, where the jewel now seemed to pulsate with life and energy. It still glowed. Was Generosity now in this jewel?

Because he agreed on fusing with the others? This was the solution, Zoro realized. At least now he was able to keep the other parts of the cook save from Fury, until he figured out a way to get Fury to agree too. This way Zoro could avoid fighting and hurting the cook, until he had his missing pieces.

There were two left, apart from Fury, Exitement and Generosity. He just had to find them!


	6. Fear, Part 1

Again Zoro wandered through the woods without real destination. Somehow he had to find the last two parts of the cook, hopefully before Fury did. But if Fury could sense his other parts, this could get difficult.

Zoro ran his fingers through his hair and stopped in his tracks. He really didn't know, how to find the other parts. It had been hours, since he left the ship, shouldn't the others have started searching themselves? Of course they didn't know about the situation though...

Before Zoro could continue his thoughts, the necklace he had around his neck now started moving. It floated and pulled Zoro in one particular direction. It wasn't using any force, it was just a light pull, so Zoro frowned, but he followed the jewel's lead. Otherwise he wouldn't know where to go either.

He followed the necklace for a little time, but faster than expected Zoro spotted the blonde hair. 

Something was different this time though. He saw the small figure leaning against a tree and covering his head with his arms. This wasn't right. This was a child!

Zoro stopped infront of the boy and looked down to him surprised. Was that really Sanji? The blond hair didn't have to mean anything, right? It could be a normal boy, who got lost in the woods.

But somehow Zoro knew it wasn't. He could sense his aura, something completely different from the other parts before. This kid was shaking.

"Sanji?"

The child jolted and shrieked, before he pressed his back against the tree and looked up to Zoro in horror. Then he seemed to recognize Zoro and calmed down again, but he was still shaking.

It really was Sanji. Zoro spotted the curly eyebrows, but it was totally different from the cook. He lacked every impression of confidence and courage. He even curled himself back into his little ball, without saying anything.

"Sanji," the swordsman breathed, then he kneeled infront of the kid and put a hand on his shoulder. The child quivered, but else didn't react. "What... what happened to you?"

Zoro didn't get an answer, at least not like he expected. Not from the child.

"He is terribly afraid," someone else started talking and Zoro's hand moved to the hilt of his sword immediately. He turned around in an instant and found himself facing another man looking like Sanji.

"Fury," the greenhaired man stated, trying to hide his rising tension. Fury was here to kill this part of the cook! He had hoped, not to see him again, at least not before he gathered all the other parts.

"Please..." The kid behind Zoro was staring at Fury with big, panicked eyes, filling with tears. He was standing now, as if he was just about to start running, even though he knew this wouldn't help him. Fury would just chase and kill him.

Fury's gaze was cold, maybe even filled with hatred, Zoro wasn't entirely sure. But it was clear, Fury had no intention of sparing this part of the cook, just because he looked like a little kid. Zoro moved infront of the blonde, though. He'd hoped that Fury would be calmed by Excitement a bit, since they fused again, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"I will not let you harm him," Zoro said in a serious tone. He drew his sword and stared at Fury with cold determination.

"You don't understand," the cook hissed. "He is the reason, why I get held back! He is Sanji's fear, the reason why he wasn't able to fight back as a child!"

"Fight back?" Zoro repeated quietly, confusion showing on his face. Fight back from what? He looked behind himself and saw the boy crying in fear. 

"I just... want to see my mommy...," he sobbed.

"You won't," Fury scoffed. "She DIED! Because of you! We couldn't save her, because you held us back!"

"N-no, that's... not true..." He was not very convincing in denying it. He sounded really broken. "I just... please don't hit me," he wispered and it broke Zoro's heart to see Sanji like that. To hear him plead like that. And Fury's words after that hit him hard: "You are just like back then. Pathetic. Weak. Afraid. I wish I would have been there at that time, I wish I would have been stronger, maybe I would have been able to erase you and kill our brothers! Then they wouldn't have been able to hurt us in the first place, then our Father wouldn't have locked us away! Because we wouldn't have been this... weak!"

Zoro looked back at the kid again. Was this.. what he had been like as a kid? Fury's words... His brothers had hit him? His Dad had locked him away? What the hell was this family?! Why did he ever go back to them?!

"You were so pathetic and afraid, you even pushed away our friends," Fury spitted in disgust. "You knew, it was our dream to go with them, to continue our adventures, but you were just to weak to fight for it!"

Suddenly Zoro remembered his fight with the cook. It hit him in the face hard, the realisation. It was exactly what Zoro had been mad for, the reason why he'd fought with Sanji. But this was Sanji saying all that, making these accusations. 

He was accusing himself, calling himself weak and pathetic. Was it really how the cook was thinking? Was he blaming himself this much?

"I... I just wanted them to be save," the child wispered and burried his face in his hands. "I am sorry... I just... I was afraid to loose them, I'm sorry..."

Zoro swallowed hard. Shit. He really fucked up bad. He had known, that Sanji hadn't been trying to be selfish or weak. He knew the cook wasn't weak or afraid, he knew he would never push his friends away like that, but it felt so... It had hurt, thinking about how Sanji would've just left them all. Zoro had been mad, because he wanted to hear it from Sanji. That he was sorry, that he would never do this again. That he was glad to be on that ship with his nakama. 

Honestly, Zoro wasn't sure what it had been, but he realised now just how much he'd hurt Sanji too. Additionally to his familiy, additionally to his selfblame. Shit.


	7. Fear, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that last week there was no update. It took longer than expected and I had some troubles with my PC but I'm back with a new chapter! Have fun reading ^-^

As soon as Fury took a step forward, Zoro was moving himself between the kid and Fury again. He regretted a lot of things and he needed to apologize to Sanji, but first of he had to save the cook. And he was determined to do so.

“If you get in my way, I will kill you,” Fury hissed. “I don't care if you are Nakama or not. I'll just tell Luffy and the others a dramatic story of how you died...”

“So you still want to go back to Sunny?” Zoro asked and it seemed like the question was taking Fury aback. He blinked a few times, before he growled.

“Yes, I need to fulfill my dream still..”

So there he was. The cook's excitement, it really was there. But before Zoro could have pressed on the matter, Fury launched forward and tried to land a kick at Zoro's head. The swordsman evaded the attack, cursed under his breath, then he grabbed the kid behind him and pressed him against his chest, before he started running.

He couldn't fight Fury. Nothing changed from last time, so his only option was to get away from him and take Fear with him. The kid was an easy target, he wouldn't be able to stand against Fury for one second. He was still shaking in Zoro's arms.

“Get back!” Fury shouted and quickly followed them. 

“Hey kid,” Zoro grunted in a low voice and he could feel how the kid winced slightly. “You need to help me out a bit.”

“H-how?” Sanji asked hesitantly. He understood that Zoro wanted to help, but he was just so damn afraid. Maybe Fury was right and everybody was better off without him...

“Do you want to get back?”

The kid looked up with a confused expression on his face. “To... to Sunny?” he asked.

“To Generosity,” Zoro answered. “Back to being Sanji.”

The kid hesitated again, but then he slowly nodded. “Y-” Before he could give his final agreement, something hit Zoro hard in the side and he crashed against a tree. He held the kid close, trying to shield him from any damage, but he lost his grip, when the pain paralyzed him for a moment.

Sanji's unblocked hit would've been lethal for most people and it was definitely not comfortable for Zoro. He hissed and tried to get up again, but something pushed him down in the dirt by his back.

“I said, I would kill you, if you try to get in my way! You are damn annoying,” Fury snarled and added more pressure, that Zoro almost expected his bones to crack. The swordsman had to fight back a pained noise and clenched his fists, still trying to get up.

“Zoro!”

It was the boy, who called his name, horror in his eyes. He was still frightened, but this time it was different. “Let him go! He is Nakama! Don't hurt him, please!” he begged. 

Fury turned to him, his eyes cold. “I don't need weak Nakama...” he huffed. “I don't need Nakama who want ME to be weak!”

Zoro growled lowly, before trying to turn over with as much force as possible. It took Fury by surprise and his balance suffered from it, that Zoro was able to get him to stumble, before escaping his pressure. Finally he was able to stand up and his hands shot to his swords, drawing two of them, only Wado stayed sheathed.

“I don't want you to be weak, I want you to be YOU!” 

Sanji scoffed, not really convinced. He attacked Zoro again, even if the swordsman was able to block the blow this time. He still had the upper hand, since Zoro couldn't really hurt the blonde. At least he shouldn't. 

But instead of another attack, Fury drew back. He seemed to know, fighting Zoro would take too long, he still had something else to do. So he suddenly turned around and started running back. It took Zoro a moment to realise, what Fury was going for.

“NO!”

Zoro wasn't fast enough. The kick hit the small boy hard and he screamed, before he flew against another tree. Fury laughed- fucking laughed!- as he watched Fear curling himself into a ball, while sobbing silently.

Shit!

Zoro raised his sword, before sending a blow in Fury's direction. He didn't need to be near the blonde, the attack seemed to move on its own.

Fury cursed and jumped back, but he could feel a cut on his cheek, blood dripping on the grass infront of his feet. “You could've killed me!” the blonde hissed again, but Zoro just looked back at him with cold eyes. He was done playing nice.

“I thought you're tough, but now you're whining like a little girl,” Zoro teased and it worked. Fury growled dangerously and without much efford his legs started to glow like they were burning. Just a moment later he was next to Zoro and aimed his leg at his chest. 

Even by stopping his foot with both of his swords, he slid across the dirt. The blonde was really strong, Zoro always knew that well. He would not underestimate Sanji, he knew better than to think it would be easy to defeat the cook.

He just hoped the kid was okay. If he killed Fear with that kick of his, then Sanji was lost forever... Zoro couldn't bear the thought, moreover because it would've been his fault.

Fury wasn't coming down even a BIT. He attacked again and again, but this time he also received some scratches. Zoro wasn't holding back as much as he was before. He realized, he had to be a bit harsher, if he wanted to save Sanji!

But then Fury took him by surprise and Zoro was pushed back against a tree, no way to escape the kick that followed shortly after.

Before Fury could hit him though, a pained noise made its way up the blonde's throat, as something hard hit his head and he collapsed.


	8. Love

After Fury collapsed infront of Zoro the swordsman looked up just to see another Sanji.

"Quick!" He grabbed Zoro's arm and rushed him to take the kid. "We don't have much time. He won't be unconscious much longer!"

Zoro didn't really understand what was going on, but he knew, the blonde was right, so he grabbed the kid and ran, the other Sanji behind him.

They just stopped running, when they were sure, Fury wasn't following them. Fear was shaking in Zoro's arms again, but he seemed to be okay. The kick had been hard, but fortunately he wasn't hurt that badly.

Zoro sighed and slid down a tree to sit on the ground and keep Fear in his arms, trying to calm him down. He looked up again, when the other Sanji sat down next to him.

He didn't look good, tho. He was thin, thinner as usually as if he hadn't gotten any food for the past few days, maybe weeks. But he smiled at Zoro as if nothing was wrong.

It was almost a miracle, that his kicks had still been powerful enough to knock Fury out, even though he looked like he couldn't even stand on his own.

"What happened to you?" Zoro asked and he remembered that he asked Fear the same question, so he added: "And who are you?"

Was he Sanji's hunger? But that wasn't an emotion, right? Maybe Luffy would have disagreed to that, but Zoro was surprised at what the cook answered.

"I'm Sanji's love."

His love. Zoro scoffed automatically and Sanji sighed.

"I know, what you think. And you're right, I'm his love for women," he admitted, before looking at Zoro again. "But I'm more than that. It's also love for my old man. It's love for my Nakama and..." He stopped and looked down again. "Fury will hunt us down."

Zoro was confused by this change of topic, but he nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that he wants to... do something about this little guy here..." He looked down at the kid, that pressed himself against Zoro. He was really afraid.

"He hates him, yes," Sanji admitted. He looked troubled for some reason. "But he hates me more."

That took Zoro by surprise, but it made sense when he thought about it. "So he wants to get rid off you, because he thinks your love would make him weak?"

"Yeah..."

"I see a pattern," Zoro scoffed but he sighed after that. "I will deal with him, but first you two have to accept being sucked up by this crystal or whatever."

He raised his hand with the crystal and Sanji looked at it sceptical.

"What is that?"

"It contains Generosity right now," Zoro tried to explain even though he didn't really understand himself fully. But that wasn't important if only it would bring back Sanji. "I think it is the key to put Sanji back together, but you have to agree to it for it to work."

"That will be difficult with Fury, you know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I noticed, smartass," Zorro huffed and shoved the cook a bit, even though the kid was still in his arms and pressed himself against Zoro's skin.

The blonde next to him chuckled lightly. Zoro noticed again how skinny the blonde looked. It was almost concerning, but Zoro didn't know how to ask about it. It wasn't important anyway, soon Sanji would be back!

He looked down at the child and spoke softly: "Hey, you will be save, okay? I promise. So will you get back? Back to being Sanji?"

The kid looked up, the fear still apparent in his eyes, but he nodded slowly and finally smiled. "I want to get back," he said. The familiar light wrapped around the boy and shortly after, the crystal sucked him in and the child vanished.

Zoro turned to the cook's Love. "Now it's your turn."

"Are you sure, you don't need help against Fury?" the blonde asked though. He seemed to be worried about Zoro.

"It's fine, I can take him. And I will change his mind, I KNOW I can," Zoro promised even though he sounded more confident than he felt. He HAD to change his mind. "Besides, with your kick earlier you probably got lucky, stupid cook." He grinned. "As if you can deliver another kick like that."

"You are such a moron," the blonde stated and rolled his eyes, but Zoro was glad to see a smile on his lips. "That's one of the reasons, why I love you."

Zoro didn't expect anything like this. He blinked slowly, staring at Sanji, trying to catch up on what he said.

"I want to get back," the blonde said, still smiling softly, while the light engulfed his frame. "Maybe then I can finally tell you for real..."

Zoro watched as the light got taken in by the crystal and suddenly he was alone again, still trying to wrap his head around the words.

The cook loved him? How long had he-...

Zoro couldn't understand. It was too sudden.

"Idiot cook," Zoro wispered silently and closed his eyes sighing. "It's just like you to say something like that and then just vanish..."

He never would have imagined, but he knew the cook hadn't been trying to tease or deceive him. He had been honest for once. Goddammit, Curly-Brow was too talented for his own good in hiding his feelings. So much he kept to himself, while it probably hurt like hell and damaged the cook from the inside. They had so much to talk about, when the Shitty Cook was back.

Zoro got up and adjusted his swords on his hips. He had to concentrate on Fury for now. He would think about this later. He had to save the cook first and bring him back to his nakama. And there was nothing in the world that would be able to stop him, not even the cook himself.


	9. Fury

Fury already waited for him. He'd probably figured that with Zoro and the other two escaping, Fury himself would be the only one left and Zoro had to come for him at some point.

"I will not surrender," Fury stated dryly after Zoro stopped some feet away from him. "They are in the crystal, right? Give it to me, I will destroy it! Then this nonsense is finally over and you don't have to be harmed."

"Try me, cook," Zoro grunted. There was no way that he was handing over the crystal. Fury didn't waste any time. He launched a kick to Zoro's head, which the swordsman dodged before drawing two of his swords.

They fought each other for a while, kept attacking each other, but they seemed to get nowhere with it. Especially Zoro though. How was he supposed to convince Fury? Words didn't seem to reach him, he was being unreasonable!

He grew more frustrated, the longer the fight continued on. He had to bring the cook back, for god's sake! He still had to talk to him. About a lot... About his confession.

"I got to know Love," Zoro started another conversation after defending himself against one of Fury's kicks. The blonde narrowed his eyes and another kick followed, but he didn't hit Zoro. The swordsman drew back. He didn't lower his swords, but he also didn't fight anymore. He had to reach Fury! Or at least Excitement. 

"Oh great..." The sarcasm was apparent and Fury rolled his eyes. "Probably a skinny wreck? I was surprised he could still deliver such a strong kick, after his strength took a bad hit lately."

Zoro frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well I was being held down by the others mostly, but I could get some control when we battled others. But Love? Oh damn, that guy wasn't allowed to do anything. He had been pushed down for ages. The original Sanji didn't allow any of that feelings to surface. Not when it regarded you."

Zoro definitely was surprised, but apparently not surprised enough for Fury to don't notice.

"You knew. He told you? That he loves you?"

"Is that the reason why you despise Love the most?" Zoro returned the question and it took Fury by surprise.

"This feelings shouldn't exist. They make us weak!"

"You think, every feeling makes you weak," Zoro stated and Fury nodded.

"Exactly!"

"This is going nowhere," Zoro sighed. "You may be able to kill the cook's other parts, his feelings, but it won't help you. What are you going to do then? Kill your family? Kill everyone that is getting in your way? It won't make you happy and it won't ease your fury."

"Shut up!" the blonde hissed before attacking Zoro again. He launched himself at the swordsman and Zoro's eyes widened, when Sanji grabbed him by the collar instead of kicking him.

He got thrown back against a tree and he lost grip on one of his swords. Fury was faster than him.

A pained cry escaped the swordsman's lips as the sword pierced through his skin at his lower body. His own sword pinned him to the wood behind him and Zoro tried to grab the hilt to pull it out again, but Sanji still pressed on, so the blade would slide deeper. 

No, that was wrong, it was Fury. Sanji would never use Zoro's sword against him. He fought with his feet, for god's sake!

Zoro's breath hitched and he grabbed the blade itself with his free hand, trying to push it away again. It caused deep cuts, but he ignored the pain.

"You are pathetic," the blonde hissed. "I thought of all people you would understand the best, since I agree with you regarding the whole mess with my family. I thought you would understand, that I need to be powerful, that nothing should hold me back!"

"This... This is not the right way... to be powerful," Zoro insisted between laboured breaths. This wound was bad. It was bleeding like hell and somehow Zoro had a feeling, he would just make it worse if he removed the sword. "To discard all your other feelings? To discard your... your friends, if they don't agree? You know, Luffy... he hates these kind of people the most."

Zoro was surprised himself to see, that these last words seemed to really affect Fury, the way he drew back a little and his eyes widened. 

"What the hell are you fighting for?!" Zoro managed to hiss after that. He was getting dizzy, but he refused to give in to such a scratch! It was nothing. "You are right, I was mad.. But because I thought you stopped fighting for your friends, your nakama. I didn't realise you never stopped fighting for us." 

He had to take a deep breath. It didn't ease the pain, but he had to finish this. It wasn't just Fury. In this blonde infront of him was more. He knew he cared for his friends! It was Sanji! No matter the emotion, he was always acting for his nakama. Sacrificing everthing if nessecary. Even his own happyness.

"I am sorry," Zoro panted and Fury just stared at him with widened eyes. "But... we are your family. Your true family. That's something you... you should never sacrifice, even for power."

"Zoro...," the blonde wispered and the greenhaired man smiled softly. He had finally gotten through..

"You are important to.. all of us. I'm not letting you go that easily. So tell me... tell me you want to go back," Zoro said. He held Fury's gaze- No... Sanji's gaze. But his heart dropped a second later.

"No..." It was still just a wisper, but Zoro heard it clearly. His head fell. Shit. It hadn't been enough. He... he couldn't save Sanji. He was helpless. He failed. 

"I..." The blonde started again and his hands fell from the hilt of the sword. "I want to move on. With you."

Zoro looked up again and watched surprised and unbelieving as Sanji was engulfed by light once more. He was not looking at Zoro rather than the sword he hurt him with and his eyes filled with tears, but a moment later he got sucked into the crystal and vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long to write that chapter but the story is definitely not abandoned! The last chapter will hopefully follow shortly, I will definitely finish it! ^-^


	10. Ending

Nothing happened. Zoro cursed under his breath. Sanji was not appearing. Maybe he had to do something with the crystal... But he didn't know what else it took! Dammit!

Zoro stretched his arms and grabbed the hilt of Kitetsu to drag it out. He hissed and breathed heavily, but he didn't stop until the demon sword was out and he stumbled a few steps forward. 

"You won't get used to the taste of my blood, right?" he asked, looking at the demon sword, before sighing and putting the sword back in his sheath. Then he looked at the crystal. Shock washed over him, when he noticed that the necklace was gone.

"Shit!" Where did it went?!

He frantically looked around in hope to see the crystal somewhere in the grass maybe. Sanji was in there! He couldn't lose it! He couldn't lose HIM! 

He started running, his gaze fixed on the ground, when a sharp pain in his side caused him to stumble once more and he lost his balance.

Someone catched him. White skin, almost skinny arms... This delicate hands...

Zoro looked up and his breath was caught in his throat. "Cook.." he wispered and the other smiled softly at him. 

"Hey, Marimo... I'm back."

Zoro didn't really think about it, when he let his head fall against the other's shoulder. Relief washed over him as he just savoured that moment. He was back. It DID work. He didn't realise how much he had missed the cook. The REAL cook, with ALL his feelings. Not until now that he was here with him, kneeling on the ground and almost embracing each other. 

"We have to get you back to the ship. Chopper has to look at your wound," Sanji said after a while. "Can you stand?"

Zoro pushed himself up without saying anything, even though Sanji helped and supported him, so he wouldn't trip again. Zoro let him do that, even though he was sure, he would have been able to make it back to the ship alone. But he didn't want to let go of Sanji. He didn't want to make it to there alone.

Silence filled the air between them, but it was a comfortable silence. One in which Zoro just enjoyed the company, enjoyed to be close to the cook, because it made him feel reliefed. Because it assured him the blonde wouldn't go anywhere. 

He started to wonder since when he was this sentimental about the cook and even though he felt a little stupid, because dammit, he was a grown, independent man, he didn't need someone else like that, he wasn't CLINGY, but.. he allowed himself to be sentimental for this once. He allowed himself to be worried, even though it was probably irrational.

This once he would accept being this emotional. 

Sanji knew where he was going, thank god, and it didn't take too long, before they arrived at the Sunny. 

"Zoro is back!" a voice called. Undeniably their captain. "And he brought Sanji!"

"Who is bringing who?" Sanji grumbled and Zoro started to grin. 

"AH, ZORO IS HURT!" The panicked reindeer helped to get Zoro up to the deck and picked him up to bring him to the infirmary.

"Hey, I can still walk!" Zoro protested. Getting supported to walk was one thing, but he wouldn't let himself get carried around like that! Sadly the doctor didn't leave him much of a choice. So before they would disappear below deck, he called: "Luffy, make sure the cook is okay!"

Luffy nodded while the cook looked more than surprised by this request. Especially since it came from the Marimo.

Zoro had to undergo some examination, but compared to his usual wounds it was nothing. At least Zoro said so. Chopper didn't agree, but he had to be honest, it wasn't as bad as he feared. Still, training was forbitten for at least a week and he had to be careful, so the wound wouldn't open again. 

"What happened?" the doctor asked after he took care of the wound. Zoro sighed.

"It's nothing," he answered. "The cook and I had a fight, I got careless, but it's good now."

Chopper didn't seem to buy that, but he left it at that. "Are you and Sanji good now? Did you apologize?"

"Not yet," Zoro admitted, but he smiled softly and ruffled Chopper's fur. "But I will. I understand now. Don't worry, I will talk to him again."

Chopper nodded satisfied with that answer and jumped down. "Let's join the others!"

The crew was sitting in the kitchen, while Sanji was cooking. Usually he would cook in silence and alone, but this time the company was welcome. And somehow the crew could feel that.

After talking with the crew, Zoro realised that for their friends just a bit more than an hour had passed since Sanji left the ship, while for Zoro and the cook it had been almost a whole day. That's why noone had gone looking for them. 

Sanji served the food a little time later and the crew started digging in. Zoro was surprised to see that Sanji had cooked him his favourite meal: Onigiri. Noone in the crew had that. And somehow he felt like the cook was trying to apologize...

After dinner their friends left one after another while Sanji started doing the dishes. Zoro stayed behind, drinking his sake. Sanji let him have a bottle. After everything that had happened, he could probably use it.

Chopper was the last one to leave and the silence that followed wasn't as comfortable as before. Zoro could see the tension in the cooks shoulders. They both knew, why Zoro was still here. They had to talk about what happened. 

Sanji could remember his confession. It was confusing, but he could remember EVERYTHING. And he dreaded their following conversation. He dreaded the things Zoro had to say. 

"I am sorry," Sanji started himself, much to Zoro's surprise.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Well, I kinda pinned you to a tree with your own sword," Sanji stated dryly in an attempt of humor, but it wasn't really funny. "I attacked you, more than once and I-" He stopped himself from talking more, but Zoro assumed he wanted to say something about his confession too. He didn't even look at Zoro, he kept himself occupied with the dishes. 

"Cook..." Zoro got up from his seat and took a few steps towards the blonde. "I don't blame you. It wasn't-"

"It WAS me, Zoro!" Sanji suddenly turned around. He sounded angry, but his face showed his pain. He blamed himself even more now. He attacked one of his nakama... again!

"Yes, it was you," Zoro started again. "But it wasn't your choice to make. You had no control over it. And I can take a few hits, idiot." He grinned. "I am not fragile, cook. You can't bring me down that easily. Neither Luffy, by the way."

Sanji seemed surprised by this words, then he frowned. "You are talking about... Whole Cake Island..."

"Yeah.." Zoro sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I.. I didn't know about your family. Not the way they treated you. I am sorry about the things I said. Why didn't you tell me though?"

"Because it's hard to admit weakness to your rival. To someone you want to impress," Sanji answered and again he had to look away. He couldn't look Zoro in the eye. He knew, Zoro's view on him would change now. He didn't want it to change. He never did.

Zoro stayed silent for a moment. Dammit, that really made sense.

The silence made Sanji nervous, so he started talking again: "I mean, I wanted to impress you, because I... I felt like if I don't show you, that I'm strong, that I can keep up with you, then.. then I couldn't hold your attention and you would eventually just... forget about me.. You wouldn't look at me anymore."

Zoro didn't know what to say. To hear all that... to see how much Sanji struggled with these thoughts and worries...

"And now I ruined that, I... Dammit, you saw my fear, you saw how weak I am, you saw how desperate I am for strength. You saw all of my ugly sides, even the fact that... that you are more important to me than I would have liked to admit, I'm just-" Again he stopped and if it weren't for the fact that his hands were precious to him, he probably would have dugged his nails into his palms.

Damn, Zoro was bad at this. He wanted to talk, to comfort Sanji, but he really sucked at that. He also didn't want to destroy anything.

"Cook, you are not weak. Fear doesn't make you weak. Your past doesn't make you weak," he started to speak. He just hoped being honest would help Sanji. "If anything it makes you stronger. Because you had to go through all this.. shit and you are still standing here, don't you?"

"Thanks to Luffy and you all..." Sanji huffed defensive and Zoro rolled his eyes. Then he suddenly closed the distance between them and put his arms around Sanji to pull him even closer. He felt Sanji stiffen.

"Idiot, we're just here to help you out. That's what nakama do. But you are still standing with your own strength. And you don't have to prove anything to me. I KNOW you are strong. I admire you, Sanji."

Sanji gasped at these words. It was too much to take at once, now HE didn't know what to say. Zoro still held him close and gave Sanji some time to process all that. 

"And just for the record," Zoro then started again and drew back a bit, just so he could place his hand at Sanji's cheek affectionately. "I don't think any of your sides are ugly."

That seemed to drive Sanji over the edge and he couldn't stop his tears from spilling. Shit, he never would have imagined Zoro saying these things, being so.. soft moreover towards HIM, his rival!

But there was one last surprise for Sanji. After Zoro wiped away his tears, a soft and almost loving smile on his lips, he leaned forward and kissed Sanji softly. It just felt... right in this moment, even though Zoro worried about going too far. Yeah, Sanji confessed his feelings earlier, but that didn't mean it would be okay for him to just... kiss him. 

His worries faded though, after Sanji started to kiss back slowly, his cheeks still wet from the tears, that still were spilling, because he was just so overwhelmed with everything that was happening. But he wouldn't trade this moment for anything on the world. 

Damn, he really fell hard for Zoro.


End file.
